The present invention relates generally to accessories for firearms, more particularly to devices, apparatuses and methods for efficiently mounting accessories to firearms and more specifically to devices, apparatuses and methods for efficiently mounting accessories as well as providing a mechanism for generating a scent.
The general concept of attaching accessories to firearms is known in the art. Early concepts for attaching accessories involved the use of the bayonet mount that is usually on and at the end of the barrel of the firearm alone or in combination with additional structure. Federal laws have been enacted, however, that effectively restricts bayonet mounts to only weapons that are employed by the military or law enforcement authorities.
Other concepts involved the use of a plurality of bands or ring clamps or other structures that may block or otherwise interfere with the firearm""s aiming sights, thereby preventing the aiming sights from been properly used for aiming the firearm during the daytime. Such bands, clamps or other structures tend to make the firearm unnecessarily heavier and more awkward to use. Consequently, these bands, clamps, devices or other structures are removed from the weapon at times other than when the accessory is to be used.
In one particular hunting application, the hunter is located in a tree stand or hunting blind. In order to get into the tree stand, the hunter has to climb the tree using tree branches or a temporary or permanent ladder type arrangement. In some cases, the hunter hands the weapon or firearm up to another person already in the tree stand. There have been cases where the firearm was accidentally discharged as the weapon was being handed to the other person causing injury or death to the person the weapon was being handed to. In other cases, the firearm has slipped out of the hunter""s hand while climbing and fallen to the ground, whereby the firearm is damaged and/or accidentally discharged again creating the risk of grievous injury. In addition, the hunter may place the firearm in their lap while the hunter is in the tree stand for any of a number of reasons including the cold temperature of the air. There have been occasions where the firearm has slipped out of the hunter""s lap and fallen to the ground, resulting in damage or accidentally discharging of the weapon.
Because the locations where such accidents can occur are typically remote from areas serviced by conventional normal emergency medical personnel, there can be delays in obtaining medical assistance and consequently increasing the severity and consequences of the injury. Thus, there continues to be a need to develop hunting techniques and devices to minimize the risk of injury to hunters and bystanders resulting from the accidental discharging of a falling weapon.
It also has become desirous to make recordings or movies of one""s hunting experience. As a practical matter it is extremely difficult for a hunter to target the quarry, be it deer, turkey, flying ducks, flying geese, pheasant, etc. as well as focusing the camera using the camera""s rearview finder so the camera is viewing the target/area including the target (e.g., switching back and forth between the aiming sights and the view finder). Consequently, another person typically operates the camera or recording device to make the recording without, in some cases, the knowledge of what quarry the hunter is actually targeting. It thus would be desirous to improve upon existing techniques so the hunter can target and record at the same time without involving another hunter or bystander.
While hunting, it is a common practice to hide or mask the smell or odor of the hunter with an animal scent or musk such as, for example, deer urine. The conventional technique is to apply the animal scent on the hunter""s boots or hat, wearing a scent button or pad on one""s clothing or hanging the button or pad off of one""s self. Consequently, the hunter""s clothing or shoes retains the odor of the scent, which is not desirable when the hunter returns home. Alternatively, a scent generating device or other mechanism is hung off or tied to the tree proximal the hunter or the tree-stand (e.g., see U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,177). Such a technique is limited essentially to those cases where the hunter intends to remain at a specific location and not move around as well as requiring the hunter to carry such a device/mechanism to the tree stand, hunting blind, etc.
It thus would be desirable to provide a new device(s) that can be attached to a firearm and that can be used to at least one of generate a masking scent, hang a firearm and/or to record or make movies of the hunting experience as well as methods related thereto. It would be particularly desirable to provide such a device and method that would not interfere with the firearm""s aiming sights when the device is attached to the firearm so the device need not be detached and re-attached from the firearm/weapon particularly when in the field. It also would be desirable to provide such a device that would make the firearm less awkward when it is attached thereto use as compared to prior art devices. Such device s preferably would be simple in construction and less costly than prior art devices and such methods would not require highly skilled users to utilize the device.
The present invention features devices for mounting accessories to a weapon and more particularly mounting devices that allow more than one accessory to be secured to the weapon, such as a firearm (e.g., rifle, shotgun) or a crossbow, at the same time using the same mounting device. In more particular embodiments, the mounting device secures one of a scent generating device, a weapon hanger, a recording device and/or an illumination device, such as a flashlight to the device and thus to the weapon. The present invention also features methods related thereto-including methods for masking the scent of a hunter and for hunting methods.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is featured an accessory mounting device that includes a clamping device that is configured and arranged so as to be removably secured to a portion of a weapon. The clamping device is configured and arranged so an accessory for the weapon is secured thereto. In more particular embodiments, the accessory is one of a scent generating mechanism, a weapon hanger, a recording device or an illumination device and the clamping device is configured and arranged so as to not interfere with the aiming sights of the weapon when it is secured thereto. In more specific embodiments, a plurality or more of such accessories are secured to the clamping device at the same time.
In other particular embodiments of the present invention, the accessory is a weapon hanger, where the weapon hanger comprises first, second and third segments being interconnected to each other. The second segment is arcuate and the first, second and third segments are configured and arranged to form a hook like structure. In a more specific embodiment, the second and third segments are formed and arranged so a long axis of the third segment intersects a long axis of the first segment. More particularly, the angle of intersection is in the range of from about 10 degrees to about 20 degrees, more specifically 15 degrees. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the weapon hanger also is configurable so as the scent generating mechanism, such as a scent pad is attached to a portion thereof.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is featured a method for masking human scent while hunting, including securing a scent generating mechanism to a weapon; and dispensing scent from the scent generating mechanism. In more particular embodiments such securing includes securing a mount to the weapon; and securing the scent generating mechanism to the mount. In an exemplary embodiment, the scent generating mechanism comprises an absorbent material that retains the scent material, more particularly absorbent material in the form of a pad. In further exemplary embodiments, the scent generating mechanism includes an oleophillic absorbent material and the method further includes applying scent material to the absorbent material/oleophillic absorbent material.
In yet another aspect of the present invention there is featured a method for hunting including securing a mounting device to a portion of a hunting weapon; removably securing a scent generating mechanism to the mounting device; and dispensing scent from the scent generating mechanism so as to mask the human scent. Such a method also further features any of hanging the weapon using a weapon hanger secured to the mounting device, recording scenes using a recording device secured to the mounting device and illuminating a target area using an illumination device secured to the mounting device.
Other aspects and embodiments of the invention are discussed below.